Social-Emotional Learning

Attending to the social-emotional needs of children has been a hallmark of Epiphany School for many years. We hear parents remark on this regularly and reference the 3Cs (confidence, curiosity, and courage) and the 3Rs (respect, responsibility, and resourcefulness) from our mission and values as key indicators of the school’s commitment to developing these skills in our students. 

Responsive Classroom, a highly regarded, evidence-based program, is our school-wide social-emotional learning (SEL) framework. The program focuses on developing five core competencies: cooperation, assertiveness, responsibility, empathy, and self-control.

In classrooms and on the playground, teachers, staff, and students work together to implement the key components of the Responsive Classroom approach. These include daily Morning Meetings, Quiet Times, and Closing Circles; developing classroom and all-school rules; and practicing modeled skills related to positive language and managing emotions and behavior. Our goal with this program, in conjunction with strategic SEL classroom lessons provided by our school counselor, is to create a schoolwide learning environment that is safe, joyful, and rigorous and where students feel a sense of belonging and significance—and have fun!
At Epiphany School, we believe that teaching and developing social emotional skills is as important as teaching academic subjects and that a strong foundation of social-emotional learning (SEL) underlies the ability to create a learning environment where students can focus, engage, and take mental risks in their academic work. 
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SEL: The Student Experience

Epiphany School students, families, faculty, and staff nurture a schoolwide culture of social-emotional growth and development each and every day. Here is a closer look at what meaningful social-emotional learning looks like in the context of a typical day at Epiphany School.

News

  • What's the "magical power of 'yet,'" and how does it shape our students' courage and confidence? Watch out new video all about growth mindset at Epiphany School, and learn how we help students "unlock the true belief that they have unlimited potential."
  • Discover how we teach students essential friendship skills in ParentMap's recent article "Teaching Kids the Skills They Need to Make and Keep Friends." Read it online or download the PDF.

Counselor's Corner

Watch our school counselor's video series on essential SEL tools and skills, from active listening to coping strategies.